The Dark Moonlight returns to the capital, and the mad prince is accused of forcing love.

The sweet aroma of osmanthus pastry filled the narrow carriage.

Lin Zuoqing grabbed Xu Qianhui's mischievous hand, pulled her forward, and pinned her hand against the edge of the small table.

"Don't mess with me."

Xu Qianhui leaned her lower back against the edge of the wooden table, meeting his gaze.

"Isn't this to thank my cousin for arranging such a good marriage for me?"

She raised her free left hand, her fingertips slowly moving upwards along the seam of his overlapping clothes, finally resting gently on the pulse at the side of his neck.

"What's wrong with the young general's wife? Why are you in such a hurry to remarry him?"

"Your status doesn't give you the right to ask these questions," Lin Zuoqing scoffed.

Xu Qianhui was not annoyed.

She tilted her small face up slightly, her eyes sparkling.

"Does the young general know about our affair? Was Lord Lin sending me there to help him, or to harm him?"

"Whether you can get into the General's Mansion is your own ability; I'm just giving him another option."

These words struck Xu Qianhui with unusual weight.

"So..." she said in a very soft voice, "you also think I'm a good choice?"

Before the last word had even faded, Lin Zuoqing abruptly pushed her away, creating the last remaining distance between them.

He leaned back against the wall, his gaze cold.

"Stop trying to glorify yourself. I'm just worried that you'll have little chance of having children, while Yun Ci already has two sons. If you become a stepmother, you won't be left without anyone to care for you when you pass away."

A century...?

After repeatedly pondering these two words, Xu Qianhui suddenly smiled.

He laughed without a care in the world, and even revealed a hint of mischievous provocation.

"What if I don't become the second wife?" she asked.

"That means you're incompetent."

After saying that, Lin Zuoqing raised his hand and tapped the carriage wall behind him.

"parking."

The carriage came to a stop immediately.

Qing Shu nimbly led the horse over.

When Lin Zuoqing bent down to exit the carriage, he paused for a moment.

"Do your own thing at the polo match and don't cause trouble."

The carriage curtain fell, completely obscuring his figure.

The sound of horses' hooves faded into the distance.

Xu Qianhui leaned back on the cushion, slowly rubbing her wrists which had been pinched red, and murmured softly.

"Of course I won't cause trouble."

Her purpose in coming here was not for men.

If she gets into another conflict at the polo match, how will Princess Fu'an view her?

The wheels turned again, and the carriage continued its journey, soon arriving at the horse farm on the outskirts of the city.

The horse ranch of the Marquis of Wu'an's residence is extremely large.

The autumn wind is howling.

The grassland was flat and wide, and the withered yellow grass stems undulated in the wind like waves.

The tents of the various powerful and wealthy families have already been set up according to their rank.

Xu Qianhui got out of the car and surveyed the entire scene.

At the foot of a heavily guarded hillside, we saw the largest bright yellow tent in the entire area.

The dragon pattern embroidered with gold thread is extremely dazzling in the sunlight.

That's the royal position.

Xu Qianhui calmly withdrew her gaze and went with Granny Fang to the place where the Rongguo Duke's mansion was set up.

The Rongguo Duke's tent was pitched on a hillside with an excellent view, and there was no one guarding it.

It seems everyone in the manor went to the stadium stands to join in the fun.

As Xu Qianhui approached, she heard a sobbing sound coming from inside the tent.

"What did I do wrong? When Xu Qianhui entered the manor, I stood up for her because I was afraid she would lose her marriage. Now, not only is she ignoring me, but she's also saying I'm scheming... It was she who took a liking to the second young master and wanted to get rid of Xu Qianhui. What does their business have to do with me? What right does she have to accuse me?"

Lin Zuoqing hummed in response, but said nothing more.

Lin Zhiwei seemed to have received tremendous encouragement, and her sobs grew louder.

"It's also my fault, why did I bother with their messy affairs? Now that they're deeply in love, I've become the one who stirred up trouble..."

"Um."

"Zuo Qing, do you also think I did something wrong?"

"It's alright, as long as you're happy."

Granny Fang had excellent hearing and heard everything that was said inside.

She pulled Xu Qianhui back a few steps, winking and lowering her voice.

"Miss, why did Miss Qin break the ice with her?"

Xu Qianhui smiled and said, "Because she has a clever mother."

The wind carried the sound of horses neighing from not far away, and Xu Qianhui tucked a stray hair behind her ear.

"Moreover... Qin Miaoyun is right, Lin Zhiwei was never truly devoted to her."

Lin Zhiwei may seem impulsive and considerate of Qin Miaoyun in every way, but it's impossible for her not to mind her own existence.

Since she minds, even if those are all things of the past, she will still take action against herself.

By leveraging Qin Miaoyun's influence, he could also gain a reputation for being straightforward and frank.

Killing two birds with one stone, a very clever plan.

Unfortunately, their hand was exposed.

Granny Fang rubbed the handkerchief in her hand, her old face beaming with joy.

"The two daughters-in-law from prominent families are at odds; the lady is probably going to have a terrible headache."

Xu Qianhui laughed along and led her a little further away.

For a mere nanny to dare speak ill of the Duchess like this outside shows just how much the Old Madam hopes she'll turn the Duke's mansion upside down...

I hadn't gone far when a person came walking towards me.

His dark, fitted outfit hugged his tall, well-proportioned body, with the cuffs neatly tied.

It is Chu Yun Ci.

He was walking alone toward the polo field.

Upon seeing Xu Qianhui, he paused and stopped.

"Why hasn't Miss Xu changed her clothes yet?"

Both men and women can participate in polo matches, and the women often change into smart riding outfits.

Xu Qianhui looked down at her elaborate silk skirt and gave a wry smile.

"There are people in the tents at your residence, so it's best not to disturb them. I apologize for the inconvenience, young general."

Chu Yunci glanced at the direction behind her and understood a bit.

He showed no sign of mockery and stepped aside.

"The polo match is about to begin. If Miss Xu doesn't mind, you can come to my place to change."

The general's tent was on the other side, some distance away from this side.

Xu Qianhui bowed slightly and said, "Then thank you very much, young general."

The two walked towards the general's tent, one after the other.

Granny Fang was very perceptive; she stayed far behind and didn't move forward at all.

The grass underfoot was soft and fluffy, and my shoes made a soft rustling sound as I stepped on it.

Halfway there, Xu Qianhui suddenly slowed down.

Noticing that she hadn't followed, Chu Yunci turned around to look at her.

"Little General."

Xu Qianhui's voice was very soft, with just the right amount of hesitation.

"I thought that our meeting at Jiming Temple today was only because my cousin pitied my loneliness. Only just now did I realize that even if it wasn't me, it would have been someone else."

She absolutely could not allow herself to leave Chu Yunci with the impression that she was desperate to get married.

Let the Duke's mansion take the blame for her.

Chu Yunci tilted his head slightly, his gaze falling on her face.

"What do you mean by that, Miss Xu?"

Xu Qianhui lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes casting a shadow beneath them.

She walked very slowly, as if struggling to figure out how to make this shameful thing sound more respectable.

Finally, she looked up again, gazing at the man who was a head taller than her.

"The Duke's Mansion has been incredibly kind to me. Logically speaking, I should repay them without being asked."

She bit her lower lip, her voice earnest.

"But... the young general is a hero, and I am unwilling to approach you with such insincere intentions."

"That's not fair to you."

An autumn wind swept by, blowing down a few yellow leaves.

Xu Qianhui stood in the wind, her back ramrod straight.

She was like a wild grass on a cliff, growing wildly in the barren cracks of rocks.

Chu Yunci remained silent for a long time, then smiled softly.

"Miss Xu, there's no need to blame yourself. I've always known the Duke's intentions."